The last of normal

This day one year ago was the last day of the last month of "normal". 

It was May when everything went to hell...and everything began to go right.

Gallbladder cancer.  Did you even know it existed?  My family didn't.  Who ever heard of such a thing?  A gallbladder goes bad or develops stones and you have it out.  Easy.  Small little incisions.  Quick healing.  

Well, most of the time.  But in very rare circumstances, the gallbladder is cancerous.  Gallbladder cancer.

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.  I fell to my knees...and cried and screamed and prayed. 

And after I finished praying, I prayed some more.

Gallbladder cancer.  Results so far from typical that I can still hardly believe it.

A pain in the side...

Mom had a pain in the side. We were in Maui and she just didn't feel well. Darn gallbladder. Over the last 30 years, Mom had three gallbladder attacks.

One was decades ago. The second was the first (and only) time we went to Hilton Head. That was shortly after we'd moved to the South. In 1995. Of course it would act up again while we were on vacation.

After returning home, Mom got the gallbladder checked out. Then, she got the gallbladder out. Simple. Except that the surgery made her sick and she had to spend the night in the hospital. I'd had the same thing happen to me many years earlier.

The good news was that I had had my gallbladder out many years earlier and absolutely loved the doc who did it. He was the one we called when it was Mom's turn. That would turn out to be one of the better choices we've ever made in life.

A year ago at this time, Mom was home and healing from surgery. Gallbladder gone. Surgery sites healing. Staples holding in place until they'd be removed on Cinco de Mayo. All was well.

Or so we thought.

Have you read the name of my blog? Results NOT Typical. God, how I wish they had been.

More tomorrow.

What a differnce a year makes!

A year ago today my family began a journey. We didn't know it at the time. It would be nine days before the true journey began. Tomorrow, I will take you back 12 months...and start at the beginning.

What are you doing with your extra day?

We have an extra day this year. Today is it. Put yours to good use and give an additional day to someone else. Here's how:

Team Monarchs & Miracles

Charmi

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today, February 10, is Mom's birthday.

Today is a celebration of so many things. But most of all - life and miracles.

So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM! I LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH!!!!

Charmi

Now...

...where were we?

Oh yeah. Al Roker's book. It was good. Read it.

On to other topics...

Book(mark) It Tuesday - Al Roker

Hey gang,

I have not finished the book I started before getting sick. Just haven't gotten back into a regular reading schedule. (Hence the bookmark title of today's post.)

But, I thought I'd mention what I'm reading and tell you that so far, I'm liking it. So, from a partial read, I would recommend Al Roker's new mystery "The Midnight Show Murders". I will note that while I don't remember all the details of the story, I think I preferred "The Morning Show Murders". But, this is still a good read to this point.

I'll give a full report when I finish reading it!